Forever Yours
by HarryPotterGrl100
Summary: EJ/Sami with a twist. EJ is ill.


**Hey fellow Ejami fans! :D I have no idea how this story came to my head, but here it is, haha. This fic takes place right back when EJ first came to Salem and met Sami but I changed a few things: She never gets involved with Lucas again, and she still decides to be friends with EJ after finding out he's a DiMera. The DiMera-Brady feud will still present challenges but it will also be romance-y and drama-filled. :) I had fun writing this even if I don't know the future plans for this story, lol. Anyway enjoy. :D I remember back when I was twelve watching it in 2006, I instantly loved EJ and Ejami. :D Glad they are finally together on the show, too. :)**

* * *

_"Why hello, Samantha," EJ said, smiling at her in that all-too familiar way that always made her knees grow weak around him._

_Sami beamed brightly at him, happy to see him as always, but glad that Lucas and Will weren't around to insult him as they did every time EJ came over, despite Sami's rant to them both one night about how she paid the rent for the apartment, not them, and so they had no say over who she was friends with. As usual, Lucas and Will had just sniggered at her defense of EJ and then left for a father-son movie, to her anger._

_"EJ!" She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, feeling his warm chest and that familiar scent of cologne, and his heart beating wonderfully in time with hers._

_He chuckled and then picked her up and spun her around. "I missed you, lovely girl," he said, kissing her on the cheek. She was just as beautiful as the last time he had seen her before his plane left two weeks ago._

_She blushed and smiled, flustered but happy all the same. "Oh EJ, I missed you too! How was Paris?"_

_He smiled. "Boring as usual. I guess we Brits are spoiled living so close to France, as it's always a popular spot for holiday…I know it was for me growing up. And not to mention, the business trip, and traveling with Kate, was terrible."_

_Sami laughed aloud at his stab at Kate, Lucas's mother. God she hated that woman!_

_"Well come in, why don't you?" She smiled, standing back and holding the door open for him, but he declined._

_"Actually, I was rather hoping we could go across the hall to my own apartment and talk. There's….there is just something I need to tell you. I…I feel the time is right, and I don't want to keep it a secret any longer."_

_Sami stared, puzzled. "Oh…alright. Somehow I'm nervous, but I know nothing could top you telling me you were a DiMera," she said, laughing a little._

_Thankfully, he did, too, and she remained hopeful it wasn't as serious as she was worrying about. She smoothed her long blonde hair back and then said, "Just let me go get my keys, and I'll be right over."_

_"Oh no, I'll wait," he said, smiling sweetly at her, and she smiled. Soon, they were across the hall, the distance short as always, but Sami found herself wishing it could last longer, if only spend more time with EJ. They had so much to catch up on and talk about!_

_She smiled as he gallantly held the door open for her as usual, and soon they were in his apartment._

_But nothing could have prepared her for the five words EJ said to her._

_"Samantha, I'm ill. Seriously ill."_

"Wh**—**what are you ill with?" She shakily asked, stricken at the news that EJ, in all his handsome, sometimes often infuriating, _wonderful_ glory…was ill.

He smiled. Actually smiled. "AIDS, my beautiful darling. AIDS."

She stared. "Y**—**you**—**that's**—**"

He smirked a little wryly at her. "Impossible, Samantha darling? No, I am afraid it is entirely possible. I got it because my...birth mother was HIV positive and only learned of it after my birth."

Sami stared at him, hardly able to believe it. EJ...ill? He looked utterly healthy, but as he crossed the room backwards, eyes on her all the while, and opened the cabinet above the sink to reveal neat row upon row of pill bottles, in all shapes and sizes, she knew it could not be anything but the truth.

She felt the color draining out of her. "Y...But**—**you look so healthy**—**"

EJ laughed. "One of the wonderful mysteries of AIDS, darling."

Sami stared, unable to speak. Her heart was pounding, and she couldn't help but notice, as she so often did, how handsome he was.

This time, it was almost painful. Painful to realize he could die. That she could lose him.

The color gradually drained out of her face, and she gripped a chair for comfort, her knuckles turning white. She could feel tears stabbing her eyelids, and she felt like she might faint.

His smirk vanished, his face morphing into pure concern, and he moved towards her, expression full of concern. Stricken concern. The concern no man had ever looked at her with before in her life.

"Oh Samantha, are you alright? Sit**—**sit down. I'm sorry**—**I shouldn't have made light**—**shouldn't have told you like this**—**"

She looked up at him in amazement. "EJ**—**I **—**I don't understand. You**—**you're so calm about this**—**it's as if you don't care**—**"

His face turned serious. He stared at her, and she stared back at him.

She was trembling.

His eyes looked deep into hers, and then he said softly, "Samantha, darling. Come. Sit...sit with me. I'll tell you everything."

Sami couldn't move. EJ picked her up, gently, and she had to marvel at how strong he was...how good his arms felt...Distantly, she felt she should tell him to stop, as if it were straining to him.

They slowly moved towards the couch, and then EJ set her on his lap, stroking her face.

She didn't even realize that he was rubbing her back for a couple minutes, entranced as she was by his stare. How shocked she was.

He closed his eyes, and then said, softly, "Samantha...Darling, I am deeply sorry for making light of my condition. It **—**it wasn't**—**I never wanted to hurt you. I**—**yes, I am sick. I have AIDS; have had it practically my whole life. And there**—**there is a very real possibility that in the next couple years, I'll die. And no, I don't like it, I hate it, actually, but I've had it so long, making fun of it is almost very bloody easy. It helps, if you can understand that."

Realizing what he meant, Sami nodded.

He continued. "I will admit...Only my father knows about my condition. You...you, believe it or not, are the first person...the first friend...the first woman I've ever told."

She felt her heart warm a bit at the admission.

Sami said, "Really? I'm sure you have a lot of friends, EJ. And ex-girlfriends, to be honest."

He snorted. "Yes to the last part, no to the first. I…Samantha, I truly consider you to be my best friend…my only true friend I've ever had. And that's why I wanted…wanted to tell you."

Subconsciously he had moved closer to her and she felt herself blushing, but happy nonetheless. She smiled. "I am very honored that you decided to tell me, EJ Wells DiMera."

He smiled a bit at the inclusion of both his last names.

Growing serious again, she said, "But…EJ. You…you never told any of your exes about your condition?"

"Yes, and no. I only told the last few, and one by one, the girls all ducked out on me, with a lot of insults and the like. It proved far too much for them to be in a relationship with a handsome, wealthy racecar driver with AIDS. In fact, one lovely gal, who we'll call Lucinda, just for the heck of it, after I told her, threw hot coffee on me and said I would be doing the entire female population of Britain a favor if I just offed myself right then, instead of possibly giving women my "infection, " as she called it. But it doesn't matter. I never really loved any of them as much as I do another lovely girl."

Her heart bled for him, even as she felt it break a little at the thought that he had feelings for another woman…someone that wasn't her. Gathering the courage to touch his warm cheek, she said, seriously: "Well EJ, those women were nothing but selfish sluts who didn't realize how good they had it."

He snorted, smiling. "That's why I love you, Samantha."

She felt her breath hitch and she couldn't speak.

He touched her cheek, and Sami, again, was aware of their close proximity.

"Hey, you ok?" EJ asked, and Sami stammered, stupidly: "You…you love me?" Somehow she felt it couldn't possibly be true but she wished it was.

He stared at her, saying nothing, and then Sami blushed horribly, feeling horribly stupid, wishing she could just run away. "Oh…I…oh god…this is so humiliating. You…you meant just as a friend…oh god, I'm sorry…You…you like another woman, not me…I'm, I'm sorry EJ…I'll just go…"

For some reason she could feel tears just starting to prick her eyelids, and disappointment shattering her heart. She couldn't even understand why, but it was there.

EJ held her tighter, as if he sensed her body ready to jump off of him and run away. "Samantha, sweetheart, look at me…"

Sami would never admit it to anyone, but she loved it when EJ called her that. She couldn't remember Lucas, or Austin, or even Brandon calling her that. She had a feeling she was the only woman in Salem…_in the world…_ who EJ called that, too.

She did, heart pounding, and EJ said, very seriously: "I suppose this isn't the best or the most romantic way to admit my feelings to you…I had a whole candlelit dinner in mind, complete with flowers and everything…but…yes, Samantha. I…I do love you, in every sense of the word. I am completely, head over heels in love with you. You're the most beautiful woman in the world, but more than that, you're so marvelous. You're so adorable and sweet one minute, so fiery and entertaining the next. You're the perfect match to my personality, and I find every moment I'm with you, I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I wish I could live inside you so I'd never have to leave you even for a moment. Even the sound of your voice makes me the happiest man alive. You are, hands down, the most wonderful, adorable, talented, intelligent, fiery, manipulative, beautiful, entertaining woman I've ever laid eyes on, and I know, if I died tomorrow, I would want you beside me. I adore you, Samantha Gene Brady, utterly adore you: The good girl, the bad girl, and everything in between. And I think every woman in Salem, even the whole damn world, for crying out loud, utterly and completely pales in comparison to you. I love every bit of you, and even if you don't return my feelings, I hope someday you find a man that you love back just as much as I love you, who loves you as much as I do. You deserve every happiness in the world, and know that if ever you need somebody to turn to, somebody to help you, you have a very loyal servant and friend in me. I will remain ever of service to you. You are my one true love; it's as simple as that."

Sami could feel herself blushing, and her heart pounding, and her mind whirling at EJ's confession. Happiness, confusion, and more happiness were dancing inside of her. EJ loved her! EJ…her best friend…heck, her only friend…loved her! He loved her. Not Carrie, for once. Not another woman. Her. And it left her so shocked she could barely breathe. She'd been fighting her feelings for him ever since they had first met, always knowing he would never like her in that way…that little voice in her head always telling her he'd prefer her older sister over her, like every other guy she'd ever been involved with in her life, sans Brandon. And especially so since he was a DiMera. She knew her family would never, ever accept them together; never accept him. Sure it had been rough at first when she had first found out, but she had missed him, and quickly made up with him…

EJ stroked her cheek. "Samantha, are you alright?"

She took a deep breath and then smiled at him, albeit shakily. "Yes, just…just shocked. Oh EJ…this makes me feel so happy, so…I've always had feelings for you, ever since I first met you. But I never dreamed that you…that you'd…"

He smiled and winked at her. "Samantha, this makes _me _very happy. The happiest man in the world, in fact. I do love you, and I don't want you to doubt that ever, for a minute. And believe me," he said, reading her mind as he always did, "Your sister pales in comparison to you. I don't see what wimpy old Lucas and Austin ever saw in her," smirking a little and winking as he finished.

She laughed a little. "Oh EJ, I love you too! You're…I consider you my best friend. I… I don't understand it, but somehow, I love you more than any man I've ever been with."

He beamed, and then, suddenly, he leaned close and kissed her deep. She felt herself flying.

And then he pulled back, and she felt herself crying, doing what she had been about to do before all this about him having feelings for her was thrust on her. She felt herself finally crying those tears the shock and the wonderful distraction of his confessing his love to her. She felt herself crying the tears she would have started to while holding onto the chair had he not picked her up in his arms.

He looked at her, seriously. "Darling, what's…"

It was finally hitting her, all of it. EJ, her best friend, the love of her life, the man she suddenly found she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, despite the problems it would create in her family, was _sick. _Utterly and completely sick. Could die in the next few years; heck, even the next few months. Sick with no chance of getting completely well again. She didn't want to lose him, ever. The very thought made her heart break.

"Oh, EJ," she sobbed. "I…I just…you're...it's finally hitting me. You're, you're sick. And I don't, I don't….I don't want to lose you."

He stared at her seriously, and then hugged her. She had the most ridiculous, insane, wish that her tears could heal him, as Rapunzel's had her prince's eyes…

"Darling…I…I can't promise you that, that I won't leave you, someday, but…know I will use every last breath of mine I have to stay here as long as possible with you, and that I will always be with you. Always."

His voice was getting a little choked up, and she kissed him again, her tears falling down his face.

They stayed that way for awhile, and eventually they both fell asleep on his couch, Sami wrapped up in his arms, both wrapped up in each other as close as possible.


End file.
